Vietnam’s textile and garment sector is hoped to make breakthroughs in 2019 based on successes and momentum last year.

According to the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS), 2018 was a successful year for the textile and garment industry with a total export turnover of over 36 billion USD, up over 16 percent year-on-year, making Vietnam one of the three biggest exporters of textiles and garments in the world.

VITAS Chairman Vu Duc Giang said last year, the world saw complicated developments, rising trade disputes and scientific-technological advances. In that context, the association proposed many measures to the Government, and relevant ministries and sectors to remove policies that cause difficulties for businesses operating in this field, he said.

With the results achieved in 2018, Vietnamese textile firms have witnessed positive signals for orders in 2019.

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I hope you are enjoying the holidays and getting some down time with family and friends. I want to take this opportunity on behalf of the Council and our staff to wish each and everyone a very Happy New Year. May 2019 be a year full of good health, happiness and prosperity for you, your family and your organization.

Q4 has shown active developments in regulations around cyberspace and data, with three major pieces of legislation moving forward: the Cybersecurity Bill, Personal Data Protection Bill, and the National Digital Identification Bill. The government is also moving to amend the revenue code to better capture e-commerce taxation. These legislations demonstrate the high priority Thailand places on the digital economy, and their efforts to achieve the vision Thailand 4.0, especially as digital innovation is a key theme for Thailand’s 2019 ASEAN Chairmanship Year. These legislations will require companies to be vigilant in compliance regarding new obligations and rules around data, critical information infrastructure and cybersecurity.